Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
conventional short form: San Marino
local long form: Repubblica di San Marino
local short form: San Marino

Data code: SM

Government type: republic

Capital: San Marino

Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (castelli, singular—castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle

Independence: 301 (by tradition)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Foundation of the Republic, 3 September

Constitution: 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution

Legal system: based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Pietro BERTI and Captain Regent Paolo BOLLINI (for the period 1 October 1998-31 March 1999)
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Gabriele GATTI (since NA July 1986)
cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term
elections: cochiefs of state (captain regents) elected by the Great and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA September 1998 (next to be held NA March 1999); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term; election last held NA June 1998 (next to be held NA June 2003)
election results: Pietro BERTI and Paolo BOLLINI elected captain regents; percent of legislative vote—NA; Gabriele GATTI reelected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote—NA
note: the popularly elected parliament (Great and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the Great and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State) which has ten other members, all selected by the Great and General Council; assisting the captains regent are three secretaries of state—Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Finance—and several additional secretaries; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed many of the prerogatives of a prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral Great and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held by NA May 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party—PDCS 40.8%, PSS 23.3%, PPDS 18.6%, AP 9.8%, RC 3.3%, Reformist Socialists 4.2%; seats by party—PDCS 25, PSS 14, PPDS 11, AP 6, RC 2, RS 2

Judicial branch: Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Piermarino MENICUCCI, secretary general]; Democratic Progressive Party or PPDS (formerly San Marino Communist Party or PSS) [Stefano MACINA, secretary general]; Reformist Socialists or RS (formerly San Marino Socialist Party or PSS) [Maurizio RATTINI, secretary general]; Democratic Movement or MD [Emilio DELLA BALDA]; Popular Alliance or AP [Antonella MULARONI]; Communist Renewal or RC [Giuseppe AMICHI]; Reformist Movement [leader NA]

International organization participation: CE, ECE, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
honorary consulate(s) general: Washington, DC, and New York
honorary consulate(s): Detroit

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US Consul General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty)